- India LaRoda crowned Miss India America 2017 in Los Angeles
Indian-African American India LaRoda was crowned Miss India America 2017 at the 25th anniversary gala, in Los Angeles, California.
The new Miss India America and The Elite Awards 2017 winners were announced during a star-studded red carpet gala in Los Angeles.
- CM confers Biju Patnaik Award for scientific excellence
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has conferred the Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence for the year 2016 to Prof Digambar Behera.
Behera is senior professor and Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.
Prof Prasanta Mohapatra, professor in the Department of Computer Science in at the University of California, was also conferred this award for 2015.
- Tata Docomo wins DigitAnalysis’ award for best Wi-Fi services in North India
Tata Docomo was given the award for its Public Wi-Fi Services provided in partnership with NDMC at Connaught Place and the Best Wi-Fi Roaming Services Provider for its roaming services.
Tata Docomo claims to provide internet services at many prime locations such as airports, cafes and hotels. Further, Ookla ranked Tata Docomo Wi-Fi at Delhi’s IGI Airport as the 4th fastest in Asia.
- Nandan Nilekani Appointed Chairman of Infosys Board
Nandan Nilekani was appointed as the chairman of the board of directors of Infosys. Nandan Nilekani is a co-founder of Infosys, and served as its CEO between March 2002 and April 2007.
The board of directors also accepted the resignation of R. Seshasayee as the Chairman and as a director, along with the resignations of Vishal Sikka as the Executive Vice Chairman, Jeffrey Lehman and John Etchemendy as directors.
- Cristiano Ronaldo wins UEFA Player of the Year award
Cristiano Ronaldo was named UEFA Player of the Season for 2016-2017 after a campaign which saw the Portuguese superstar help Real Madrid to the La Liga and Champions League double.
It was the third time that Ronaldo has won the award which was presented on the sidelines of the Champion League group stage draw.
His great rival Lionel Messi has won the prize on two occasions and could pave the way for him to capture a fifth Ballon d’Or title.
- Right to privacy is Fundamental Right under Constitution, Declares Supreme Court
A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has declared that the right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty” and an inherent part of the fundamental freedoms enshrined in Part III of the Constitution.
Reading out the common conclusion arrived at by the nine judges on the Bench, Chief Justice of India JS Khehar said the court has overruled its own eight-judge Bench and six-judge Bench judgments of MP Sharma and Kharak Singh delivered in 1954 and 1961, respectively, that privacy is not protected under the Constitution.
- Vice President to launch Sports Talent Portal on August 28
Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu will officially launch the Sports Ministry’s much- awaited National Sports Talent Search Portalat the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on August 28.
The portal will provide a three step simple process for registration, profile creation and upload of achievements.
It will be available in English and other regional languages so that it is easier for any boy or girl who is talented in a particular sport to upload his or her achievements from any part of the country.
- Govt said to Examine Gm Crops’ Impact Before Rollout Decision
The Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended that no Genetically Modified(GM) crop should be introduced unless the biosafety and socio economic desirability is evaluated in a transparent process.
The recommendation was made by the department-related parliamentary standing committee on science and technology and environment and forest.
The Committee also recommended that the Environment Ministry (MoEFCC) should examine the impact of GM crops regularly.
- Sushma inaugurated first Videsh Bhavan
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will inaugurate the country’s first Videsh Bhavan, assimilating all Regional Passport Offices under one roof, at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).
As a first pilot project, four offices of MEA – Regional Passport Office (RPO), Protector of Emigrants (PoE) office, Branch Secretariat and Regional Office of ICCR – have been assimilated and brought under one roof at the state-of-art office.
- CCEA nod to rename food processing scheme as PM Kisan Sampada
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved renaming the new central food processing scheme SAMPADABSE 4.95 % as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) with an aim to benefit 20 lakh farmers and generate 5.30 lakh jobs by 2020.
The objective of the PMKSY is to supplement agriculture by promoting processing and reducing farm wastage.
The scheme with an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore is expected to leverage investment of Rs 31,400 crore.
- Government finalises new cadre policy for IAS, IPS officers
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s proposed cadre allocation policy on the lines of its overarching theme of “One Nation”, has drawn criticism from the serving and retired members of the Indian bureaucracy.
Under the new policy, officers from all India services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) will have to choose their respective cadre from among the five zones comprising of 26 existing cadres.
- Indian Navy Band to Participate in International Military Music Festival in Moscow
An Indian Navy band will participate in the International Military Music Festival “Spasskaya Tower” at Moscow. The festival will go on till September 3, 2017.
Spasskaya Tower is the parade of the best military music bands of Russia and other countries that takes place every year at Red Square in Moscow.
This Music Festival is a mega event, where military musicians represent the variety of national, artistic and military traditions of the world.
- Banks should link home loan rates to repo rate: RBI appointed committee
Reserve Bank of India appointed committee on Household Finance suggested that banks link their home loan rates to the RBI’s repo rate, the rate at which it lends to banks.
In the past three years, the central bank has reduced the policy rate by 200 basis points, but the weighted average lending rates have fallen by 145 basis points.
- Two Regional Rural Banks Record Over ₹150-cr profit in Fy17
Out of the 56 regional rural banks (RRBs), Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank and AndhraPragathi Grameena Bank recorded net profit of more than Rs 150 crore during 2016-17.
These are among the 49 RRBs that recorded a profit in 2016-17. According to the Reserve Bank of India’s‘Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India’,45 of the 56 RRBs earned profits without carrying any accumulated losses during 2015-16.
- Microsoft launches ‘Project Brainwave’ For Real-Time AI
Software giant Microsoft has announced its Project Brainwave deep learning acceleration platform for real-time artificial intelligence (AI). With the help of ultra-low latency, the system processes requests as fast as it receives them.
The ‘Project Brainwave’ uses the massive field-programmable gate array (FPGA) infrastructure that Microsoft has been deploying over the past few years.
- Google brings free WiFi to Indonesia
Google is extending its successful Google Station program to Indonesia. The company is partnering with internet service providers (ISPs), venue owners, and system integrators in Indonesia to provide consumers with free access to Wi-Fi at railway stations, universities, and other public areas.
The expansion of the program, which was first launched in India 18 months earlier, could bring more users online, expanding Google’s global footprint.
- Australian Trade Minister to lead Business Week in India
With the focus on strengthening collaboration between Australia and India in agri-business and food, higher education and research and smart cities and infrastructure, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo will lead a major mission to the country.
Around 50 business events and activities with Indian businesses, industry, and the government will take place across the six cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bhopal, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
India is Australia’s ninth largest partner with two-way trade and services of Australian dollars 20.7 billion and its fifth largest export market, with total exports of Australian dollars 11.1 billion.
- President Donald Trump signs Memo Banning Transgender Recruits from US Military
President Donald Trump has reversed an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgenders inthe US military, a decision Democrats said was “cruel” and meant to “hurt and humiliate” the soldiers.
The Obama administration in June 2016 changed long standing policy declaring that troops could serve openly as transgender individuals. Around 2,500 transgender personnel may be serving on active duty, and 1,500 in there serves.
- Brazil Opens Amazon National Reserve for Mining
The Government of Brazil has abolished a vast national reserve in the Amazon to open up the area to mining. The area covers 46000 sq km and straddles the northern states of Amapa and Para.
The area is believed to be rich in gold, zinc, phosphate, manganese and other minerals. The government went on to state that nine conservation and indigenous land areas within it would, however, continue to be legally protected.
- England to host 2018 ITTF Team World Cup
The ITTF has awarded hosting rights for the event – its second most prestigious tournament after the World Championships – to Table Tennis England. It will be staged at the iconic Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, from February22 to 25, 2018.
- Tony De Brum, Champion of Paris Climate Agreement, dies aged 72
Tony de Brum, the former Marshall Islands foreign minister who became a leading advocate for the landmark Paris Agreement and an internationally recognised voice inthe fight against climate change, has died aged 72.
De Brum who was also the Pacific nation’s climate ambassador, died in the capital Majuro, according to Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine.
- India’s Oldest Cinematographer Ramana Da Sengupta Passes Away
Country’s oldest cinematographer Ramanda Sengupta, who worked with legends like Jean Renoir, Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen, died in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a statement. Sengupta was 101.
Born on May 8, 1916, in Dhaka, Sengupta studied in Santiniketan in his formative years and got his first break in 1938 when he joined Film Corporation of India in Kolkata (then Calcutta) as an assistant cameraman.
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